Madrid
məˈdrɪd
noun
Origin
Latin/Arabic
matrice — source, matrix, or water channel
Overview
Meaning Now
- The capital and largest city of Spain.
Literal older meaning
place of abundant water
Language path
Latin → Arabic → Spanish
Earliest form
Maǧrīṭ
Earliest period
9th century
Journey
The city was established by Emir Muhammad I of Córdoba in the 9th century as a fortress (al-Mudayna) near the Manzanares River. The name reflects the abundant subterranean water channels constructed by Islamic engineers.
Evolution
- Latin (Late)
matrice
“water source or matrix”
- Arabic (Andalusi)
Maǧrīṭ
“place of water springs”
Built on the Latin substrate by the Umayyad Emirate
- Old Spanish
Magerit
“early settlement name”
- Modern Spanish
Madrid
“Capital of Spain”
Connections
Word parts
matrice
root
water source
-it
suffix
place of
Related across languages
Mozarabic
Matrit
water channel
Explore next
Related to Madrid
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.